Five For Fighting
by Hopeful Shipper
Summary: AH from June 2002. The night Elizabeth finds Lucky with her sister takes a decidedly different turn. A redo of Jason & Elizabeth's first kiss.


Five For Fighting

It was four in the morning and Jason Morgan was laughing way too hard. He never laughed like that. His pretty brunette cellmate, who sat beside him on the bench, was laughing too. Someone was going to hear them and realize that they had been placed in the same holding cell together. "I am never doubting your skill set again," Jason stated.

"I had a great teacher," Elizabeth turned her head. She blew out a breath and smiled at him sweetly. Her sides aches from all their joking around. This was serious business. The cuffs on his wrist reminded her of that fact. The metal had long ago stopped being cool as it was warmed by her skin. Elizabeth's knuckles still felt the punches she landed. Nothing beat a good bar fight to vent your frustrations. She almost forgot what got her so mad in the first place. Her ex and her sister in bed together was the last thing Elizabeth needed coming to the forefront of her thoughts. She rested her hands in her lap. "Did you see those guys' faces when they heard who you were?" Elizabeth snickered. Jason nodded, but didn't respond verbally. He didn't think it would be too long before the charges were dropped. His name had that effect on people. It was then that it hit her. "I'm sorry," she said.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Jason assured her.

Elizabeth half laughed, "You've been arrested because of me."

"Do you hear me complaining?" he replied. It was par for the course for him anyway.

"Well, maybe you should. Do you realize you make it a little too easy for people to take you for granted? I don't want to be like that," she tapped her collar bone.

"You're not," Jason said.

"This is so unfair to you," Elizabeth muttered.

"Why don't you let me decide that?" he asked.

"I'm sure you would rather be in bed than here," she replied.

"Alexis will get us out of here by noon," Jason shrugged his shoulders. That's what Sonny kept her on retainer for. Truth be told he was having a little too much fun to care when they got out.

"We're going to have to make bail to get out of here, aren't we?" she questioned. Elizabeth didn't have the money for that right now. Working at Kelly's helped make ends meet while she worked on getting her painting career off the ground.

"Don't worry about it," he directed.

"I'll pay you back," she promised.

"No," Jason wouldn't take a cent of her money. He could more than take care of both their bails, if it came to it.

She knew what he was thinking, "I'll pay for my own mistake."

"Mistake?" Jason repeated, "What mistake?"

"Oh, how about I dragged you into a fight," Elizabeth said.

"You, you didn't drag me into anything," Jason straightened, his expression turning back to serious.

"If I hadn't been looking to vent, you wouldn't have been following me around to keep me safe. You wouldn't be in this mess," she pointed out.

"Ok, ok, hold on," he protested, "I went with you because I wanted to. Ok? I am responsible for my own decisions."

Elizabeth pointed her finger and opened her mouth as if she was about to make a point, but stopped before a sound came out. She dropped her hands back into their place. "I see what you are trying to do," Elizabeth leveled.

"And what is that exactly?" Jason pursed his lips playfully.

"Stop being all smart and trying to use logic to make me feel better," she raised and impish eyebrow.

"Hey, whatever works," he said.

"I actually find you kind of inspiring," Elizabeth confessed.

"Me inspiring? Ok, now I know you're beyond tired," Jason quipped, "You've lost your mind."

Elizabeth dipped her head down for another laugh. "Well, I mean, you are the original anti-people-pleaser," she explained. He smirked. "I mean, you do what feels right, you don't second-guess yourself, and you don't care what anybody else thinks," she listed.

"I care what _some_ people think," Jason nudged her with his elbow. Heat rose in Elizabeth's cheeks. Her skin turned a shade of bright pink.

He angled down to drink in her face. In that moment he admitted to himself that he always been a little bit in love with the petite artist. Even now in the PCPD of all places he was falling deeper. Words were not one of his strongest suits. Especially not when it came to Elizabeth. "Do you remember what I told you before I left last year? About this thing between us being real?" Jason inquired.

"Um, um," Elizabeth nodded.

"It hasn't gone away has it?" he said.

"I think you just might be right," she agreed. Elizabeth locked eyes with him. Why had she wasted so much time? Elizabeth knew she should have taken his hand and never looked back.

Her sapphire eyes drifted down to his lips. He could tell she wanted him to kiss her. Jason craned down and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss started out tender and chaste, but slowly the passion began to build. Elizabeth brought up her still cuffed hands and cupped his jaw, unwilling to break the kiss. Jason longed to touch her with more than just his lips, but his hands were cuffed behind his back. Damn these cuffs. After long moments they came up for air. Chests heaving both Jason & Elizabeth felt a bit weak, like a bomb had been dropped on them. Good thing they were sitting down.

She looked at him wide eyed. "Are you ok?" he asked.

Elizabeth nodded, "Yeah." She just hadn't been kissed like that before. The room was still spinning.

Once her heart rate had returned to normal, Elizabeth leaned into Jason. She tugged on her ear like she did when she was worn out. It took him back to the days he had stayed in her studio. The lack of sleep must be starting to get to her. "Jason, do you ever think about what might have happened if I had ridden away with you that day?" Elizabeth asked.

"No," he shook his head.

"Why not?" she questioned.

"Because you didn't," Jason answered matter-of-factly.

Elizabeth laid her head on his shoulder, "I'm really glad you're back."

"Yeah, me too," Jason rested his cheek on the crown of Elizabeth's head. She dosed off quickly. He heard her breathing change. Jason closed his eyes, but didn't go to sleep. He allowed himself to simply enjoy being in the same space as Elizabeth.

Some time later the sound of footsteps notified Jason that a man was coming down the hall. He opened his eyes immediately alert. Jason turned to see who was opening the door. He woke Elizabeth with his movement. She frowned not yet ready to rejoin the world. The keys in the door to their cell told Elizabeth that she was not getting to go back to sleep. Her eyes fluttered open. It took them to focus on the newcomer.

"Detective Taggart," she greeted. Elizabeth refused to look embarrassed or ashamed. There was no reason to be any of those things. She lifted her head, but didn't pull away from Jason. Jason couldn't fight the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips.

Taggart almost lost his voice to speak. The scene he encountered in the cell threw him for a loop. There was something different about the 'Anger Boy.' Taggart had never seen Jason this relaxed. Dare he say happy? Not his usual response after being arrested. Taggart should know after the countless times he had dragged Jason downtown on one thing or another.

"Elizabeth," Taggart finally replied, "You're free to go."

"What about Jason?" she questioned.

"Him too," Taggart cleared his throat. He would love to hold Jason on these charges if just to have something to stick to him. Taggart wasn't surprised those involved refused to go forward. No one in their right mind would press charges against Sonny Corinthos' enforcer.

Taggart approached them, "I'll get those cuffs off." He had no idea why they had been left on after they were in the cell.

"Jason first," Elizabeth caught the clock on the wall. It was now five o'clock. "He's had his hands behind his back for five hours," she insisted.

"I'm fine," Jason said. Taggart rolled his eyes. Elizabeth stood. She tugged Jason up with her. Jason let Taggart come around behind him and take the cuffs off. It was only after that Elizabeth lifted her hands to be released from her own restraints.

Taggart looked Elizabeth in the eye. He had to say something. To warn her. Even though she wouldn't want to hear it. "You might want to choose your companions a little more carefully from now on," Taggart advised.

"Did you not read my statement?" Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "The jerk grabbed my butt so I let him have it- Jason just stopped his friend from joining in."

Taggart led them out front where they were given their belongings that had been confiscated. There was an extra set of keys with Jason's. Sonny had a car dropped off for them. Jason reached for her hand and she let him take it. They walked out together. Jason & Elizabeth ignored the sea of questioning eyes as they made their way out of the station.

"Should I drop you off at your studio so you can get some more sleep?" he asked. She shook her head. "Where do you want to go?" Jason inquired.

"Well, I'd go anywhere with you," Elizabeth answered, "We're already somewhere- let's go to nowhere together."

Jason grinned, "How did I know you were going to angle for another bike ride?" They'd have to go and get his motorcycle from the bar. He steadied her as she got in. Jason closed the door after her then rounding the car hood got behind the wheel.

Before he could buckle. She leaned over and kissed him one more time. Jason took the opportunity to cup the back of her neck. "Thank you," she licked her lips.

"I didn't do anything," he deflected.

"You stood by my side and let me be me," Elizabeth countered, "You are an amazing friend."

"I think we'll always be more than friends," Jason admitted.

"We've even been temporary cellmates," Elizabeth smirked. He laughed as he started the engine and threw the car in drive.


End file.
